Temporary support for use in building construction



W. H. SMITH 719996537 TEMPORARY SUPPORT FOR USE IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Aprii 9, 1935.

Filed Feb. 13, 1932 /Nl ENTOR Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATES TEMPORARY SUPPORT FOR USE IN BUILD- ING CONSTRUCTION William Herbert Smith, East Molesey, England Application February 13, 1932. Serial No. 592,726 In Great Britain February 14, 1931 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a form of support which can be made expandible at will, being particularly applicable for use as centering, shuttering, and scaffolding, but also advantageous as a means of providing a temporary bridging, roofing,

staging and the like. It is particularly adaptable for use in constructing floors of the type in which preformed units are used in conjunction with a plastic material such as concrete, wherein such units have to be supported in position while the concrete sets to permanently unite them. Nevertheless, it can be used as centering in the ordinary way, to provide the form into which material such as concrete is cast, and wherein it is convenient to be able to vary the lengths and widths of such form to suit the convenience of the work.

In the improved form of telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in building construction, which constitutes the present invention, the beam is provided on its upper surface with projecting portions for resting upon supports.

The beam is preferably formed of twoor more interfitting members of closed hollow section formed from thin sheet metal. .A triangular section with base uppermost is preferred but other forms of closed hollow section or sections such as a sheet metal T or inverted channel with deep sides and in-turned edges could be eniployed.

In the use of a telescopic beam of this kind particularly when employed for the construction of concrete floors, the projecting support portions become embedded in the construction and itis necessary to provide some handy means for their withdrawal;

In accordance with the invention slots or equivalent abutments are provided for engagement by a prising tool which obtains its fulcrum from the support. This prising tool is preferably formed with two fulcra one of which is operative to start sliding movement of the telescopic parts and the other of which comes into action to complete the movement.

The improved telescopic beam according to the present invention gives a rigid, handy and light construction which is capable of easy handling on the job, and can be employed for varying lengths between supports.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention in a diagrammatic manner,

Figure l is a view in elevation showing the invention in its. preferred embodiment as applied to the construction of a hollow tile concrete floor,

Figure 2 is an end view of the telescopic beam half in section, I a I Figure 3 is an underneath plan to an enlarged scale illustrating the provision for the removal of the beam, and

Figure 4 is a view in elevation to an enlarged scale illustrating the application of the prising tool for the removal of the beam from its support.

Referring to the drawing the telescopic beam consists of a central part B and end parts C which have projecting, portions or ribs a for resting on walls or other supports A. The central beam 13 is of triangular cross section with base uppermost and its ends 11 are so inclined that the bottom 9 is shorter than the top. The end portions (3 are also of substantially triangular cross section at their portions jwhich always remain within the beam B and then become of trapezoidal section of tapering depth and finish up with a slightly inclined shallow end part c beyond which the end rib 11 projects. Each end portion 0 is provided at its top with narrow flanges b which are guided by the top portions of. inturned members Z at the ends of the beam B which are closed near totheir apices by plates m. It will be seen that with this arrangement of parts the parts 0 are capable of easy sliding adjustment relatively-"to the part B and the necessary bending resistant couples are provided by the pressure of theiparts against the bottom g and the pressure of the top surfaces towards the ends of the beam B. The tapering trapezoidal form of the beams Ccauses them to bind against the plates mwhen a given sliding movement-has taken place, this ensures that the sliding movement will never become excessive.

In the use of the apparatus, the parts are slid apart until the ribs 11 rest upon the fixed supports A. If a floor of the hollow block type is under construction the blocks Dare placed overtelescopi-c beams spaced at appropriate distances apart, and in this type of floor the upper surfaces of the beams may form the moulds f or the bottom of the reinforced concrete beams cast between the blocks.

If ordinary in situ concrete is being cast the telescopic beams may support sheeting at intervals or be laid abutting to form the whole of the centering. As will be seen from Figure 3 the ribs a are provided with splayed sides It and an indentation 7c; these are to assist in the withdrawal of the beams, which is normally amatter of considerable difficulty when the concrete has set but the load is still on the beams.

For this withdrawal, slots d are formed in the undersides of the members C near to the ends thereof. A prising tool E, Figure 4, with two fulcra G, H, is placed with its point F in a slot d and the fulcrum G bearing upon the fixed support A. The free end of the tool is then pressed towards the support A and the large leverage provided by the fulcrum G gives suflicient force to start movement; at this point the fulcrum H engages the support A and continues the movement with the smaller force now necessary but the requisite stroke to bring the rib a clear of the support A. n

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the exact details shown and described but embraces such modifications as come within the ambit of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in building construction comprising a plurality of interfitting members of hollow form, the uppermost surface of the member presenting a relatively broad surface transversely of the beam while the lowermost surface of the member provides a line bearing longitudinally of the beam.

2. A telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in building construction comprising an inner member and an outer member slidable in relation thereto, and a stop carried by the outer member, said inner member being of varying depth at its end thus engaging the stop when moved relatively to the inner member to the requisite extent.

3., A telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in building construction comprising an inper member having a wide compression flange, an outer member formed of thin sheet metal slidable in relation thereto, said inner and outer members having relatively broad contact transversely at the top and substantial line contact longitudinally at the bottom and forming a'rigid beam at every point within the range, of adjustment of the inner and outer members.

4. A telescopicbeam for use as a temporary support'in building construction comprising inner and outer members, of which the outer member is formed of thin sheet metal, the top of the beam providing relatively broad bearing transversely of the beam, the bottom of the beam providing a substantial line bearing longitudinally of the beam, with the top bearing of greater length longitudinally of the beam than the bottom bearing,

I thin projecting portions at the ends of the beam,

said projecting portions being at the same level as the upper flange and providing supports for the beam during use.

5. A telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in building construction comprising a central beam of triangular cross section, the base of the triangle forming the top of the beam and the ends of this beam being inclined so that the top is longer than the bottom, and an end beam fitting within each end of the central beam, each such end beam being formed of thin sheet metal and of triangular cross section at its end nearer the center of the span and of trapezoidal section of tapering depth for the greater part of the remainder of its length.

6. A telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in building structures, comprising an outer member, relatively movable inner members, the transverse sectional form of the members throughout their interfitting lengths being triangular with the base portion uppermost, the top portions of all members being in substantially the same horizontal plane, the outer ends of the inher members having relatively thin lips projected in the plane of the tops of the members and serv ing as a support for the members.

'7. A telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in building structures, comprising an outer member, relatively movable inner members, the transverse sectional form of the members throughout their interfitting lengths-being triangular with the base portion uppermost, the top portions of all members being in substantially the same horizontal plane, the outer ends of the innor members having relatively thin lips projected in the plane of the tops of the members and serving as a support for the members, the area of the lips being cut away to reduce the supporting area of the lips to facilitate withdrawal.

8. A telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in. building structures, comprising an outer member, relatively movable inner members, the transverse sectional form of the members throughout their inter'fitting lengths being triangular with the base portion uppermost, the top portions of all members being in substantially the same horizontal plane, the outer ends of the inner members having relatively thin lips projected in the plane of the tops of the members and serving as a support for the members, the bottoms of the respective members being in part parallel with their upper surfaces and in part inclined with respect thereto.

9. A-telescopic beam for use as a temporary support in building structures, comprising an outer member, relatively movable inner members, the transverse sectional form of the members throughout their interfitting lengths being triangular with the base portion uppermost, the top portions of all members being in substantially the same horizontal plane, the outer ends of the inner members having, relatively thin lips projected (iii 

